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Why Folic Acid Is So Important?

Folic acid is a B-vitamin that can be found in some enriched foods and in vitamin pills. If women have enough of it in their bodies before pregnancy, this vitamin can prevent birth defects of the baby's brain or spine. Spina bifida, a birth defect of the spine, can cause paralysis of the lower body, with no control of bowel or bladder, and learning disabilities. Another type of birth defect affects the brain and causes babies to die within a few days.

Fortunately, many fruits and vegetables are good sources of folic acid. You can choose from:

Vegetables Dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach and collard greens), cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, beets, green beans, root vegetables, asparagus, corn, brussel sprouts

Fruits Strawberries, oranges, other citrus fruits and citrus fruit juices, tomatoes, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, raspberries, avocados, bananas, watermelon

Nuts/Legumes Dried beans and peas, nuts, seeds, lentils

Grains Folic-acid enriched cereals, wheat germ, whole grains

Meats Liver, organ meats

Dairy Low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese

Deliciously Simple Ways to Eat Folic Acid

Strawberries

The heart-shaped fruit that's also heart-healthy

Not only do strawberries taste good, they're good for your heart, too! Most nutrition professionals recommend getting your folic acid with food first. Sweetly delicious, strawberries are a recommended part of a heart-healthy diet. Not only are they high in folic acid and low in strawberries, they taste great, too!

You can add strawberries to your yogurt or cereal at breakfast.

Take a handful to work for a healthful, low-calorie snack.

For dinner, toss strawberries into your green salad or fruit salad or serve them for dessert.

Combine folic-acid-rich strawberries with other foods that are high in folic acid to simplify getting your daily requirement.

Berry shakes blend sliced strawberries with low-fat milk and plain yogurt. Sweeten with sugar or honey.

Serve as a refreshing snack or for breakfast on the run.

Cantaloupe Cups - fill cantaloupe halves with sliced strawberries. Top with scoop of frozen yogurt.

Simply Salad - Combine halved strawberries with chunks of other folic-acid-rich fruits, such as bananas, oranges and melons. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Serve with a dressing of plain yogurt seasoned with a little thawed frozen orange juice concentrate.

Strawberry - Yogurt Freeze

2 containers (8 ounces each) lowfat strawberry yogurt

1 pint basket California strawberries, stemmed

1 teaspoon grated orange peel (optional)

Mix strawberry yogurt if not pre-mixed. Spoon into ice cube tray. Freeze until completely frozen, 3 to 4 hours. Remove cubes from tray and place in bowl of electric food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add strawberries and orange peel. Process just until almost smooth. Serve immediately, or place in freezer and stir occasionally until firm enough to scoop, 1 to 2 hours.

Flavor variations

Strawberry-Vanilla Substitute vanilla yogurt for the strawberry yogurt; omit orange peel. Strawberry-Lemon: Substitute lemon yogurt for the strawberry yogurt; omit orange peel.

Strawberry - Spinach Salad

4 cups spinach leaves, torn into bite-size pieces

1 pint basket California strawberries, stemmed and halved

1 small red onion, sliced and separated into rings

½ cup prepared non-fat honey-mustard dressing

To assemble salads, line 4 individual serving plates with spinach. Arrange strawberries and onion rings, equally divided, on lettuce. Drizzle each salad with 2 tablespoons dressing. Makes 4 servings.

Zesty Bean Salad

Combine a can of your favorite beans, rinsed and drained, with sliced radishes, sliced green onions and marinated artichoke hearts. Toss with Italian dressing spiked with hot pepper sauce.

California Chef's Salad

Arrange strips of sliced turkey or lean ham, halved strawberries, chunks of banana and orange slices on lettuce-lined plates. Drizzle with nonfat Italian dressing.

Tortilla To Go

For a brown-bag lunch, spread a flour tortilla with canned refried beans and sprinkle with shredded Jack or Cheddar cheese and some chopped green onion. Roll and wrap in plastic wrap. Heat in a microwave oven before eating.

Baked Asparagus

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup slivered almonds

Place asparagus on a sheet of aluminum foil. Dot with the butter and sprinkle on the almonds. Fold the foil into a ‘packet'. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes.

Lentils and Rice

¾ cup lentils, washed and sorted
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
½ cup uncooked brown rice
4 cups vegetable broth
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything except ½ a cup of the Swiss cheese in a bowl. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish, cover, and bake at 350 degrees for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Uncover and top with the remaining cheese. Bake another 5 minutes.

Oriental Papaya Chicken Salad

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
¼ cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon Chinese red chili paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 papaya, peeled, seeded and grated
2 carrots, grated
½ cup fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine vinegar, chili paste, garlic and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine chicken, papaya, carrots, and cilantro. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to coat. Season with the salt and pepper. Spoon onto lettuce-lined plates and serve.

Serve with an egg roll and a tall glass of iced tea for a wonderful meal.

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